GTA rivet type

Fletch · #1 (**permalink**) 05-26-2005, 08:29 AM

Hi there GTA owners....can anyone help me out with a photo of the correct type of rivet used on a GTA.I'm almost ready to put my ally lightweight together and want to make sure I get it right....but can't seem to find any info or a close enough closeup.
Cheers,

Fletch.

Fletch · #2 (**permalink**) 05-30-2005, 07:21 AM

.....Ok.....let me rephrase the question,are the rivets the aluminium pop rivet style which can be applied with a rivet gun,or the solid type that have to be hammered?....and what size are they?
Any help would be as always much appreciated!
Thanks,
Fletch.

**Alex Csank** · #3 (**permalink**) 05-30-2005, 10:43 AM

Hi Fletch,

Are you putting together an originale GTA?

If so, that's great! And it must be the only one in Indonesia, I would think. I visited Jakarta several years ago and had a grand time!

For the best information about restoring a GTA using the correct rivets, you should contact one of the owners of an original GTA. There are at least two folks here who should have that answer. They are Italcarguy and Borrani.

Here are links to help you contact them:

Italcarguy (aka Anthony Rimicci) http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/send...ailmember&u=35

Borrani (aka Steve Schaeffer [sp?])
http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/send...ilmember&u=521

Good luck! Please post some photos!

david rivkin · #4 (**permalink**) 06-01-2005, 02:30 PM

OK, here's some rivet info. The info is taken from my 66 (built in 65) GTA 613900.

The rivets, where the heads can be seen are "pop" The rivets in the rain gutters are inverted, so only the shank shows.

On my car there are two series of rivets that are unpainted. One, on the cowl cover and two, on the small platform that holds the rear license plate lights.

The rivets on the cowl have been installed with a washer that is 9.7mm in diameter.
The pop rivet head measures 7.0mm in diameter.

On the rear license plate bracket the washer is 10.0mm in diameter, the pop rivet head is 7.0mm in diameter.

In the rain gutter, with the rivets upside down, the shank as exposed and covered with primer and paint, seems to be 5.4mm in diameter and protrudes 4.2mm above the floor of the rain gutter.

Another area with unpainted pop rivets is the radiator mounting panel. There the measurements agree with the pop rivets on the cowl panel.

The car should be at the Zippo at Watkins Glen this September. All are invited to bring their verniers and measure !

David
66 GTA
81 GTV6 2.5
NYAROC

Fletch · #5 (**permalink**) 06-01-2005, 10:45 PM

David,thanks for the indepth info. it's a real help.
Alex,the car is a 1750 series 2,which I have stripped to the cor and is being entirely reclothed in a handmade aluminum body.It's cheap here to have it done and the quality of the work,although not as perfect as pressed panels,is still pretty impressive.It's not an AM replica,just a very lightweight 1750.I'll post some pics soon.
Thanks again,
Fletch.

Azzurri GTV · #6 (**permalink**) 06-01-2005, 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fletch

the car is a 1750 series 2,which I have stripped to the cor and is being entirely reclothed in a handmade aluminum body.It's cheap here to have it done and the quality of the work,although not as perfect as pressed panels,is still pretty impressive.It's not an AM replica,just a very lightweight 1750.

PSk · #7 (**permalink**) 06-01-2005, 11:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fletch

David,thanks for the indepth info. it's a real help.
Alex,the car is a 1750 series 2,which I have stripped to the cor and is being entirely reclothed in a handmade aluminum body.It's cheap here to have it done and the quality of the work,although not as perfect as pressed panels,is still pretty impressive.It's not an AM replica,just a very lightweight 1750.I'll post some pics soon.
Thanks again,
Fletch.

david rivkin · #8 (**permalink**) 06-02-2005, 12:07 AM

Fletch,

Good luck with your re-body, post some pictures. Dont worry about the aluminium panels. On coach-built Alfas, panels, left to right, dont necessarily match. One of my friends in our Alfa Club chapter has a coach-built Giuletta Sprint. The body, originally, was lathered with filler, the left door is 1" longer than the right and the left rear tail lamp is canted in at the top to the right while the right rear lamp is nearly vertical.

All coach-built cars suffer this difference, no sweat!

David
Our club web site is: nyaroc.org

**Alex Csank** · #9 (**permalink**) 06-02-2005, 03:13 AM

Fletch,

Having seen an actual GTA undergoing a complete restoration, I can tell you that Auto Delta and their panel beaters didn't have a lot of concern about perfection in their 'lightening' of the cars either! Many of the rivets didn't line up perfectly, te panels had imperfections and the car was basically built very much like a '60's race car would have been built..that is to say, they cared about saving weight and adding strength where it mattered. These were, after all...RACE CARS, not beauty queens.

PLEASE keep us posted!

david rivkin · #10 (**permalink**) 06-02-2005, 07:19 AM

Fletch:

The most visible pop rivets are those in the rain gutters as well as those along the rear body panel, between the two bolt holes for the rear bumper. Of course, if you leave the bumpers off, those rear pop rivets are visible and lend a nice racy touch.

The spacing of the pop rivets in the rain gutter is from 23.6 to 18.1mm, so pick a comfortable number and squeeze away.

At the rear body panel we have a nice anomaly. The pop rivets are the usual 7.0mm but they dont have a washer under the head. ( At least on my car ). The spacing is every 40.0mm +/- a few tenths. As the line of pop rivets cross the rear, they pass the small platform for the license plate lights which have washers, go figure !

Thus it would seem to be assemblers choice within certain guidelines.

These dimensions are most likely pretty close to all GTA's. According to Alfa expert Jim Weber, my car is one of the most original around so you can use these specs with some confidence.

David

**jrclem** · #11 (**permalink**) 06-03-2005, 09:49 PM

We used 1/8" "short shank" aluminum pop rivets... always with backing washers where possible, in all repairs to the TransAm GTA we campaigned in 70 & 71... they fit in the holes just fine. Mind you we drilled out the old rivets / a 1/8" bit...

Ital_Nut · #12 (**permalink**) 06-04-2005, 11:08 AM

Some photos of a GTA shipped over from Italy...it's for sale btw!

**italcarguy** · #13 (**permalink**) 06-04-2005, 03:25 PM

Looks like it's been hit hard in the rear at some point. Can you please post more pics and a vin?

PSk · #14 (**permalink**) 06-05-2005, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by italcarguy

Looks like it's been hit hard in the rear at some point. Can you please post more pics and a vin?

**italcarguy** · #15 (**permalink**) 06-05-2005, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PSk

Anthony,

Aren't the rivets in the roof gutter rail upside down too?

And also from my personal viewing of 2 GTA's that I have seen in person.

If so that car needs a major restoration before I'd venture out in it ... looks like the previous job was a botch.
Pete